PC Format hatchet job

spudbynight · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:12

Did anyone read the review of the overclockers bundle in the latest PC Format?

They gave a really poor review because you were not guaranteed a stable system unless you used a decent branded PSU. Surely that is common sense? They said they had difficulty booting on a number of occasions but made no mention of the PSU they used.

kellaway225 · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:15

what is the PSU that comes with the bundle? maybe they only used that and thats why they didnt like it?
why buy a overclocked bundle if the PSU you get with it is not good enough meaning you have to go out and spend extra to replace the PSU you get with it?

spudbynight · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:18

No psu with the bundle, just mobo, core i3 @ 4.00, cooler and ram.

stulid · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:19

They used their own psu, but failed to mention what make and model it was.

kellaway225 · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:20

Well thats stupid then, i could see if it came with a weak PSU but to give it weak marks or whatever without actaully stating full used specs is stupid.

spudbynight · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:26

stulid said:
They used their own psu, but failed to mention what make and model it was.

You just know it was whatever piece of crap they had to hand.

illogik · 14 Mar 2010 at 21:27

To give a bundle a low score based on a component that isnt even part of the bundle in the first place is absolutely ridiculous.

bru · 14 Mar 2010 at 23:05

it clearly states on the purchase page that a quality PSU is needed, so they don't really have grounds to give a low score on that count.

Note - The bundle operates above manufacturer specifications, as such it requires a quality power supply to operate with guaranteed stability. OcUK recommend a quality brand PSU for use with all our bundles such as the Corsair TX & HX range.

you could always write into them and let them know your thoughts on the subject, you might even get your letter/email in the mag..

LabR@t · 14 Mar 2010 at 23:22

lost faith in pc mags a long time ago.

Ollie83 · 14 Mar 2010 at 23:45

illogik said:
To give a bundle a low score based on a component that isnt even part of the bundle in the first place is absolutely ridiculous.

+1 That is an unbelievably stupid way of reviewing a product like this

shroomz · 15 Mar 2010 at 17:44

LabR@t said:
lost faith in pc mags a long time ago.

This. Mountain biking mags are going the same way :/

mike gunnz · 15 Mar 2010 at 19:07

PC Format has been a joke for some time. Increasingly less content while steadily bumping up the price.

To be fair the web is killing the magazine trade.

PhillyDee · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:39

So they broke the T&C for the bundle and then scored it low for the same reason that they didnt follow the t7c, is that not libel / slander / whatever?

kellaway225 · 15 Mar 2010 at 20:42

Yeah if i were OCUK i would sent them a message requesting that they explain in there next issue about the PSU and how it could effect the system or something like that

Audigex · 15 Mar 2010 at 21:12

Amateurs... the exact reason why I shell out for CustomPC nowadays; I got fed up of their unrelated ******** and complete bias in their pricing.

8 times out of 10 I can find the product they mention cheaper on OcUK or one of the handful of competitors to OcUK I frequent, considering I find the cheaper alternatives in the line of my hobby nosing about, they're pretty ****-weak considering they're getting paid to do it.

The advice can be a bit iffy, too. It's not so much bad advice, as useless crap. I remember them a while ago talking about a home theatre PC, then putting a fairly quick graphics card in when the onboard or a cheapo dedicated card would have done the job: they don't even mention it apart from to say that they like to play games... yeah, completely missing the point that it pushed a £400 system to over £525. That's a pretty hefty price increase (over 30%!) considering people are likely to already have a gaming PC/console if they're building a HTPC.

Ah well, it'll be useful if there's ever a bog-roll shortage eh?

mikezero · 15 Mar 2010 at 21:19

PCFormat is a magazine written by journalists, Custom PC is a magazine written by enthusiastic PC journalists.

mattyfez · 15 Mar 2010 at 21:34

Lol!

I posted a rant on thier forum a few years back, they did a CPU cooler group test where the AF7 won, and the TRUE120 scored about 12% - the reason? it doesnt come with a fan, so they tested it passively and said it was pants!
But to thier credit, they did at least mention that passivley it still out-performed the stock intel cooler at stock speeds.

Amatures!

Sycho · 15 Mar 2010 at 21:36

mattyfez said:
Lol!

I posted a rant on thier forum a few years back, they did a CPU cooler group test where the AF7 won, and the TRUE120 scored about 12% - the reason? it doesnt come with a fan, so they tested it passively and said it was pants!

Amatures!

That makes you want to headbutt a counter like John Cleese.

mattyfez · 15 Mar 2010 at 22:00

Don't it just! lol

Borderline libel if you ask me... fine if you are in the know and can see the gaping holes in thier testing methods, but to the average punter who won't know any better...

pumaz · 15 Mar 2010 at 22:28

Aren't PC mags from the olden days (before broadband)? Why in this day and age someone would make a trip to a newsagent and hand over £6 for a mag full of out dated news and bias reviews is beyond me!